Vessel construction



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m will m m, w D w. Q Y k uw J Oct. 4, 1932. J. E. HOWARD VESSEL CONSTRUCTION Filed Sept. 20. 1930 Patented Oct. 4, 1932 JAMES HOWARD, F JEFFERSONVILLE, INDIANA VESSEL CONSTRUCTION Application filed September 20, 1930. Serial No. 483,216.

This invention relates to a novel vessel construction and the provisionof means in suoli Y construction for preventing ice and floating dbrisyk from passing under the vessel and thereby causing a harmful effect on the propelling means thereof.

One of the objects of this invention'is to provide 'a novel bow construction for barges and vessels of like character. n

l Another object of this invention is to provide a flat bottoml vessel of suoli construction that as it advances through the water, ice and floating dbris encountered at the bowof the vessel, is directedaway from the sides of the vessel and prevented from travelling along beneath the bottom plate under the vessel, thereby impeding the propulsion thereof, and endangering the propelling devicesV wherey such devices are used.

fA still further object of this invention is to provide a flatbottom boat structure having features of construction to produce a vessel construction;

boat of rugged and compact nature and adapted to eficient propulsion. v

` Various other objects will appear more fully hereinafter, all of which objects are obtainable by a construction of the typo illustrated in the accompanying drawing, in which,

Figure l is a bottom plan View of my novel Fig. 2 is a view in side elevation; and

Fig. 3 is an end view of the bow portion.

Fig. 4 is a sectional view taken along the line it in Fig. l;

Fig. 5' is a sectional view taken along the line v5 5 in Fig. l; Fig. 6 is a sectional view taken along the line 6 6 in Fig. l.

This invention resides substantially in the construction, combination, arrangement and relative location of parts all as will be more fully pointed out hereinafter.

Heretofore difliculty has been encountered in thek use of vessels of the scow or barge type by' reason of ice or floating dbris passing along under andk in contact with the bottom surface of Vsuch vessel therebyfimpeding the propulsion thereof and endangering the propellers -or the other propulsion devices with which such ice or debris may come in contact. The invention hereinafter disclosed for avoiding the just mentioned undesirable effects, while adaptable to any boat or vessel having a flat top and bottom is of particular value when utilized in the scow or barge type of boat and, therefore, will be described in such connection. rihe employment of a sharp prow in the construction of the bow portion of the vessel while lending itself to increased efficiency of propulsion, and while inherently tending to direct fioating dbris away from the sides and from beneath the bottom of the vessel lacks the advantage that is to be found in vessels of uniform flat top and bottom plate type, namely the advantage of increased storage space and buoyancy.

l'havefound that the desirable eiects of a prow similar to that used in the type of boat commonly known as the model boat, when combined with a bow portion of the type used in a boat of the scow class, gives a vessel structure having the combined advantages above pointed out as being desirable as well as the advantage residing in the inherent tendency of the bow portion when formed with aout water edge to maintain the vessel on its course. Referring now to the drawing it will be seen that the boat 1, substantially rectangular in conformation (see Fig. 6), is formed with a stern portion 2 preferably of the over-hanging type to permit of the proper mounting, securing and working of propulsion devices. The bow portion of such boat is indicated generally at 3 and is formed by the union of two different types of bow structures, namely a bow portion l of the type commonly known as the bow portion of a model boat and a second bow portion 5 of a type commonly known as the bow portion of a scow. The top plate 6 of the boat l is uniformly flat throughout and substantially of rectangular form while the bottom plate '7 of the boat although substantially flat over the major portion thereof is, at the stern end 2, deflected so as to form an overhanging stern. At the bow end this horizontal under or bottom plate 7 is formed with forwardly curved kedges 8 which converge toward each other to lou p 2.0. By thus combining the dat, upturned or plate 11 having edges 12-12 This end plate is formed so that the prow line 9joins there- Figs. 2 to 6 inclusive that the curved plate portions are shown as convex with regard to elements 10 and 11.

curved scow bow portion with the model bow portion a combined novel bow lportion is created, Vthe advantagesfof which are that the prow of the modelbow portion tendsto lend 5 efhciency of propulsion tothe vessel and also to deflect from under the boat any ice or floating dbris, which, ordinarily would pass valong the bottom thereof while at the same time the features of a substantially flatscow top and bottom surfaces is retained, and hence there is no substantial yloss ofy deck Vspace or carrying capacity.

` lt is to be understood that the'vessel structure shown as embodyingmy inventionis but .-5 one of many possibleembodiments readily to accomplish the objects herein-v adaptable before set forth. 1t alsowill be apparent that those skilled Vin the art may readily conceive of Yvarious'other possible embodiments and 0 combinations'of structure therefor, and

hence, while l'have'shown and described a specific 'embodiment of .my invention, not by the scopeV thereof as defined in the ap- 5 tended claims.

meet. Rising up fromv the bottom plate all.

with at substantially its midlength point.v Extending rearwardlyl from the end platell l into the usual fiat sides 13. ltlwill be noted from an inspection of l doV desire to be limited thereby but rathering a fore-and-aft curved surfacel to deflect floating matter and debris away from the vessel at thesides thereof.

l. A vessel having a substantiallyiiat botey tom, a top, a transversely extending bow end plate joined to said top, and vertical sides curved longitudinally at the bow to meet said endk plate at its noidlength and forming a Y fore-and-aft curved surface 'to'deflect floatm0V matter and dbris away from the vessel thereof, the forward endsi-of said sides meeting in asubstantially vertical line to forma cut-water edge and to aid in keeping the Vvessel on its course.

'5. A vessel having a substantially flat bottom, a top, a transversely extending bow end plate connectedto the top, Yand vertical sides at thebow arranged to meet said end plate at its midlength to form a fore-and-aft deflecting surface to deflect floating matter and debris away from said vessel at the sides thereof. r Y

6. Arboat of the type described having an overhanging stern portion adaptable to house kpropellers or the like, a top, sides', a bottom adapted, due to its conformation to form the over-hanging stern portion, a combination bow comprising a transverselyextending flat plate and a cutwater edge joined to.

said plate yat the midpointalong its lower edge to provide a bow p'ortionhaving aconformation adapted to deflect floating 4dbris from travelling alongthe bottom and enter- 'ing the over-hanging stern portion.

7. A structure recited in claim 6 characterized in that the bow portion constructionl includes a model boat bow portion and arscow ,bowaportlon lntestimony whereof Ihave hereunto set my hand on this 16th day of September,- A. D.

Y Jai/ins n. nowiian.`

- What I claim therefore as new and Vuseful Y and desire to secureb-y United States Letters Patent is: r

1. A'vessel' having a bow construction coml bining a bow portion of the model boat type and a bow portion of the scow type terminating in a transversely extending bow end and vertical sides lso 

